Each year the Laramie Enduro invites riders to 111 kiliometers of leg crushing mountain bike riding. Now in it’s sixth year under race director Rick Vincent, the Enduro has become one of the premier ultra-endurance mountain bike races in the west. Vincent combines a challenging and unique racecourse with a fun atmosphere, deep cash payout, and bottomless post-race buffet to make a truly top-shelf bike race. Registration for this year’s Enduro sold out in nine days with a field of 400 riders.
The Laramie course is laid out in one gigantic loop. The first half includes a majority of the fast grinding dirt road and doubletrack with the second half incorporating significantly more singletrack.
Overnight Laramie experienced near-record cold temperatures with a low of 39 degrees. When the race started at 7 a.m. the temperature hovered in the mid-40s and although the skies were clear the previous night’s rain turned the meadows and mountain pastures into swamps.
Despite the cold, the race got off to a fast start as the lead riders charged up the first ¼ mile road climb before entering the singletrack. Jeff Kerkove (Topeak/Ergon) led into the singletrack where he was joined by Barkley Robinson.
The leaders quickly formed a group off the front and began to put time on the chasers cutting through the strong headwinds on the opening sections of dirt road. Just after the halfway point Robinson put in a strong effort on one of the longer climbing sections and gapped his companions for good. Once clear the race leader set a hard pace at the front riding solo for the final 25-miles to the finish.
Jeff Kerkove (left) and Barkley Robinson on the podium
“This is just such an epic course. I’m really happy to win here,” Robinson said after the finish. “I came here two years ago and I got off-course so badly that I couldn’t finish… I’m glad to have a race like today where nothing goes wrong.”
Second place went to Pedar Enger, while Kerkove stayed strong taking third on the line. 4th and 5th came down to sprint finish, after over 70 miles of racing Joseph Saperstein out kicked Peter Kalmes to the line by just 5 seconds.
A talented group of female endurance racers took the start Saturday morning with names like Eszter Horanyi (Walt Works), former Olympian Sarah Konrad, Sonya Looney, and Kelly Boniface.
Horanyi once again proved that she is one of the best endurance racers in the country. Just two weeks after taking the win at the Breckenridge 100 Eszter rode to a commanding win over second place Kelly Boniface. Horanyi was the only female rider to break the 6-hour mark coming in at 5.52.05.
Laramie local and former cross country ski Olympian Sarah Konrad took third seven minutes in front of Katie Lindquist with Jen Hanks taking the final podium spot.
Race Notes
The knee-high mud bogs on course were so thick and deep that many riders tore the buckles off their race shoes trudging through the mud. Luckily, the Laramie Enduro feedzones are stocked with duct tape, which riders would wrap around their shoes just to keep them on.
Results
Open Men
1, Barkley Robinson 5.09.38
2, Pedar Enger 5.15.01
3, Jeff Kerkove 5.24.49
4, Joseph Saperstein 5.31.08
5, Peter Kalmes 5.31.17
6, Scott McCalmon
7, James Morgan
8, Nate Bird
9, Amer Mannina
10, Ryan Ashbridge
11, Peter Hallie
12, Brad Pilling
13, Tom Torrance
14, Richard Knapp
15, Shannon Boffeli
16, Ben Aufderheide
17, Andrew Berget
18, David Wert
19, Travis Ekenberg
20, Michale Piker
Open Women
1, Eszter Horanyi 5.52.05
2, Kelly Boniface 6.04.41
3, Sarah Konrad 6.17.13
4, Katie Lindquist 6.24.08
5, Jen Hanks 6.31.22
6, Amy Thomas
7, Rozanne Abbott
8, Natalie Ryan
9, Julia Kirtsch
10, Jill Dammen
